Wednesday, December 23, 2009

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season and get a chance to enjoy all the fun that comes this time of year, including the chance to watch lots of college football during the next two weeks ;o) The team is finishing up their preparations and will head west on Friday for the bowl game next week. Ndamukong Suh keeps reeling in the awards...and the latest one is huge...he was named the AP Player of the Year! He's also had a song written about his football prowess and I've attached the MP3 file so you can listen to the music...more info below.

Big news about the women's basketball team. They are undefeated and ranked 14th in the country after beating #5 LSU...see article below!

In addition to a few articles about mid-year athlete graduations (including Suh) and the baseball team, I've added some holiday greeting and funny websites at the end of the email...enjoy. Since I'm headed to San Diego myself, this is the last email before the bowl game. The game will be on ESPN and coverage starts at 5 p.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday the 30th. I'll send the next email after the first of the year, so I'm also wishing everyone a Happy New Year...have fun and be safe.

On a more serious note, please take the time to remember the true meaning of this blessed holiday, and please say a prayer for those on watch around the world who are protecting our freedom to worship and our ability to celebrate the season. May they come home safely, and with honor, to eventually enjoy a "belated holiday" with their families.

Happy Holidays and Go Big Red (White and Blue)!

Carl

Watch Parties:

If you can break loose from work or your holiday chores to head out to our four favorite watch sites for the Holiday Bowl next Wednesday, you will probably find a number of other Red Clad Husker fans there preparing to cheer on the team to victory over Arizona. Game time is 5 p.m. but you may want to get there early to claim a good seat and order up some great pub grub for dinner during the game.

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HUSKERS HIT THE FIELD EARLY, PREPARE FOR WILDCATS...

The Nebraska football team underwent its earliest day practice of the 2009 season, working out for an hour and a half inside the Hawks Championship Center on Saturday morning.

"We had a good week of practice," head coach Bo Pelini said. "They've earned some time off (now) and we'll have a little bit of rest. We had a real physical week. I've had some success in bowl games and the big key is you have to get enough practice, but you don't want to over-practice them. You don't want to get to the point where guys are worn out physically and mentally. You have to find the balance."

Approximately 85-90 players will be in Lincoln throughout the holiday break for informal workouts, before the entire team rejoins Thursday, Dec. 24 to being game week preparations for the Holiday Bowl. The Huskers will depart for San Diego on Christmas Day as NU meets Arizona on Wednesday, Dec. 30 for Pelini's third bowl appearance as Nebraska head coach, including the 2003 Alamo Bowl as interim head coach.

"It's the next challenge," he said. "It gives us a chance to get better as a football team and hopefully gain some momentum going into the offseason. Obviously everyone wants to finish on a high note and get that 10th win, but it's also about continuing the progress we're having right now."

Several Huskers had an event-filled day, as eight Nebraska football players are part of the December 2009 commencement ceremonies in Larry Asante, Tyrone Fahie, David Harvey, Colton Koehler, Blake Lawrence, Derek Meyer, Matt O'Hanlon and Ndamukong Suh, in addition to former Husker Octavius McFarlin.

"That's the No. 1 goal when you come to school, more so than football wins and losses or anything else," Pelini said. "We're proud of them. They worked hard at is so it's great to see."
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SUH NAMED ASSOCIATED PRESS NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR... Nebraska senior defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has been named the Associated Press National Player of the Year, the wire service announced on Tuesday.

Suh is the first defensive player to win the honor since its inception in 1998, and also the first non-Heisman winner to capture the AP award since Iowa quarterback Brad Banks in 2002. Suh is Nebraska's second winner of the AP National Player of the Year Award, joining quarterback Eric Crouch who captured the award and the Heisman Trophy in 2001.

Suh received 26 of a possible 59 first-place votes from the panel, edging Stanford running back Toby Gerhart, who received 20 votes.

The award adds to a memorable month of honors and awards for the 6-4, 300-pound Suh. In addition to Tuesday's honor, Suh was the winner of the Outland, Lombardi, Bednarik and Nagurski awards, and was also a unanimous All-America pick. He was also named the Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year and was selected to every All-Big 12 team announced.

Suh is the Nebraska team leader with 82 tackles this season, marking the second straight year he has led the team in overall tackles. He also has 12 sacks and 23 tackles for loss, the third and second-best single-season totals in Nebraska school history. Suh's 56 career tackles for loss rank second on the NU career list, just 2.5 TFL behind two-time All-American Grant Wistrom.

Suh will complete his Nebraska career in the Dec. 30 Pacific Life Holiday Bowl matchup with Arizona. Game time from San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium is set for 5 p.m. (PST). ESPN will provide television coverage of the game, with the Husker Sports Network providing radio coverage.
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SUH HEADLINES CLASS OF 34 HUSKER GRADUATES...

Lincoln - The most decorated defensive football player in Nebraska history, Ndamukong Suh headlines a large class of 34 Husker student-athletes set to earn their bachelor's degrees from the University of Nebraska during winter commencement ceremonies at the Bob Devaney Sports on Saturday morning (December 19th).

Suh, a 6-4, senior defensive tackle from Portland, Ore., captured the Outland Trophy, Lombardi Award, Bronko Nagurski Award, Chuck Bednarik Award and finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting while leading the Huskers to the Big 12 North Division title. On Dec. 30, the All-American and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year will lead the Blackshirts against Arizona in the 2009 Holiday Bowl.

Before he joins his teammates in San Diego for the Holiday Bowl, Suh will join eight other current and former Husker football players in receiving diplomas from Nebraska. Fellow defensive stars from this season's crew of Blackshirts that ranked among the nation's top defensive units include Larry Asante and Matt O'Hanlon. David Harvey, Blake Lawrence, Colton Koehler, Derek Meyer and Tyrone Fahie are also set to earn degrees, along with former Husker Octavious McFarlin. A total of eight Huskers will be ready to compete for the Huskers in the Holiday Bowl with degree in hand.

Lawrence, who had his playing career come to an end in mid-season, earned his bachelor's degree in just 2 1/2 years from Nebraska. McFarlin lettered for Nebraska's national championship teams in 1994, 1995 and 1997.

The Nebraska women's basketball team will have three Huskers pick up their diplomas at the Devaney Center on Saturday, including current seniors Cory Montgomery and Nicole Neals, along with 2009 senior Tay Hester. Montgomery and Neals will return to the Devaney Center court on Sunday at 1:05 p.m., when the No. 20 Huskers take on No. 5 LSU. Montgomery and Neals both earned bachelor's degrees in business-related fields in just 3 1/2 years.

The Nebraska volleyball team adds a pair of distinguished student-athletes to the group of Husker graduates, including two-time first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American Kori Cooper, and 2008 CoSIDA Academic All-American and Nebraska Female Student-Athlete of the Year Amanda Gates. Cooper completed her senior season in 2009 by leading the Huskers to the round of eight in the NCAA Tournament, while Gates and Cooper helped the Huskers to the 2008 NCAA semifinals.

The track and field program features four December graduates, including Chi Kalu, Kacie Sharp and Janae (Mueller) Chochon on the women's side, and Skyler Reising on the men's side.

Four former Husker baseball players, Johnny Dorn, Jason Burch, Jake Opitz and Jared Cranston will receive their diplomas on Saturday, along with a pair of former Husker men's basketball players, Paul Velander and Cole Salomon.

The NU women's gymnastics team adds two graduates to the mix, including Tricia Woo and Sabrina Long, while the men's gymnastics program produced a pair of graduates in Jacob Ives and T.J. Schmidt.

The Husker graduates come from 11 U.S. states, Canada, Nigeria, and Brazil, while also maintaining a rich Nebraska flavor with 12 graduates from the Cornhusker State.

“I admire each of these student-athletes for the way they balanced school with competition,” Nebraska Senior Associate Athletic Director for Academics, Compliance and Planning Dennis Leblanc said. “These graduates add to Nebraska’s great tradition of academic and athletic excellence. These student-athletes have come from different parts of the country and the world to receive the highest quality of education while competing in athletics at the highest level. The athletic department, the University and the entire state of Nebraska are proud of them.”

Nebraska’s 2009 December class of graduates helped build on the Huskers’ great student-athlete tradition, which includes an NCAA-leading 271 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans across all sports. Nebraska continues to feature one of the highest graduation rates in the nation with a Big 12-leading exhausted eligibility graduation rate of 94 percent.
December 2009 Nebraska Student-Athlete Graduates (34)

HUSKERS IN THE NFL - WEEK 15... Lincoln - A total of 22 former Huskers saw action during Week 15 of the 2009 NFL season.

For the second time in his career, Demorrio Williams hit triple digits in tackles for a season, as the Chiefs’ linebacker produced 13 solo stops on Sunday to increase his season total to 102. Even with the strong individual effort from Williams, the Chiefs were unable to hold off the Browns in a high-scoring match-up, 41-34. The 13 stops were second only to his 17-tackle performance against Baltimore in 2006.

Zack Bowman continued to be one of the bright spots for the Chicago Bears as the former Blackshirt deflected two passes and intercepted Baltimore’s Troy Smith to collect his fifth interception of the year. However, Bowman’s effort was not enough as the Bears fell to Sam Koch’s Ravens, 31-7. For Koch, he averaged 39.3 yards on his seven punts and pinned the Bears inside their own 20-yard line three times.

In a meeting of former Husker kickers, Kris Brown’s Texans defeated Josh Brown’s Rams in Houston, 16-13. Kris scored 10 of the Texans’ 16 points, as he converted on field goals from 27, 25 and 52 yards, while also making one extra point. In the loss, Josh made one extra point and was a perfect 2-2 on field goals from 33 and 28 yards.

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HOLIDAY BOWL TICKETS... We have one ticket for sale to the NU-UA Holiday Bowl at the price of $81, what we paid for it. If you could advertise for us with the Bay Area Husker Fans, we would appreciate it! The ticket is in the South end zone, lower level Section 15. Its on the Pac 10 side of the field but a great view of the game. For more info contact:

There have been a lot of changes in the HuskerPedia events for the Holiday Bowl. The main change is a change of venue for the Tuesday, Dec. 29th Sidetrack Concert. It has been moved to Dick's Last Resort in the Gas Lamp District just a few blocks from the team hotel and within walking distance of several downtown hotels. Here is the summary:

Tuesday, Dec. 29th - Dick's Last Resort, $10 cover charge, no advance sales, get there early and enjoy the crab dinner special.

Game Day tailgate - Section A 4 of the stadium parking lot. Doors open at 11:30 for advance sales, noon for walk ups. Cost is $39 in advance, $50 walk up price.

Left Turn Party in Salt Lake City on Dec. 27th - venue has been changed to the Utahns for Nebraska watch site and price is $15 for adults and $10 for kids and includes food. Join the UT4NE crowd on the way to the game.

Hotel rooms - Get a great rate at several San Diego Hotels at this link or by calling 888-878-9649.

When coming to the game please consider taking the trolley and/or bus system to get around. Parking can be expensive and hard to find. The House of Blues and Dick's Last Resort are located within walking distance of several downtown hotels. The best rate is at the Westin downtown. and is close to trolley and bus lines.

The Tailgate the Nation crew will be filming at our tailgate and we will become a part of their documentary that is scheduled to be released next summer. Come to California and be in the movies. Hope to see you in San Diego.

Lincoln - Fresh off a 77-63 win over then-No. 5 LSU, the Nebraska women's basketball team jumped six spots to No. 14 in the Associated Press Top 25 announced on Monday, Dec. 21.

The 11-0 Huskers, who are off to the best start in school history, gained 193 points in the poll, increasing their total to 455 after ranking 20th last week with 262 points. NU entered the poll for the first time this season at No. 24 on Dec. 7, earning 131 points after a road win at previously unbeaten Miami on Dec. 5.

The last time Nebraska was ranked as high as 14th in the AP poll came on Dec. 29, 1997. The Huskers achieved their highest ranking in school history at No. 12 the first week of December in 1997.

Nebraska is one of six Big 12 teams in the rankings and the only unbeaten team remaining in the league. Baylor is ranked No. 5 in this week’s poll, while Texas A&M is No. 10. Oklahoma is ranked 13th, followed by the Huskers, while Texas is No. 17. Kansas is ranked No. 21, while Oklahoma State is lead Texas Tech and Iowa State all received votes.

The Huskers will enjoy the Christmas holiday with their families before returning to Lincoln to practice on Dec. 27. Nebraska returns to action by closing its current four-game home stand at the Devaney Center against Albany on Wednesday, Dec. 30, at 3:05 p.m. For tickets, visit Huskers.com or call 1-800-8-BIG-RED.

Also, Husker fans who were unable to attend Nebraska's win over No. 5 LSU on Sunday at the Devaney Center, have an opportunity to watch the game for free on-line at Huskers.com for the next week. A free replay is available right now on Huskers.com in the Exclusive Videos section of the home page.

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HUSKER VOLLEYBALL TEAM FINISHES FIFTH IN FINAL AVCA COACHES POLL...

Lincoln - The Nebraska volleyball team finished the 2009 season ranked fifth in the final AVCA Coaches poll released Tuesday afternoon. The Huskers finished the year with a 26-7 record after falling in the regional final to NCAA runner-up Texas in the Omaha Regional final on Dec. 12.

It marks the sixth straight year that the Huskers finished in the top five of the AVCA poll, as Nebraska has finished in the top five a total of 16 times dating back to 1988. It also marks the ninth time this decade that Nebraska has finished the season in the top five of the final AVCA poll.

With Tuesday’s ranking, Nebraska is one of only two programs in the country to be ranked in every AVCA poll since its inception in 1982. The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 for the last 97 polls dating back to 2004. In addition, NU has been ranked in the top 10 for 366 of the 400 polls, trailing Stanford, which has been ranked in 367 polls.

Nebraska closed the season by winning 10 of its final 11 final matches, including four sweeps over teams that reached the NCAA Sweet 16. Nebraska advanced to a regional for the 16th straight year, the longest streak in the nation, and has played in an NCAA-best six straight regional finals.

The Huskers finished the decade with a 307-26 record and the only program in the nation to win 90 percent of its matches since 2000. NU collected nine top-five finishes in the AVCA poll this decade, and made five NCAA semifinal final appearances, winning NCAA titles in 2000 and 2006.

Nebraska will return six starters, including AVCA All-Americans Sydney Anderson, Brooke Delano and Tara Mueller for the 2010 season.

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HUSKER BASEBALL PLAYER FEATURED ON TODAY SHOW...

University of Nebraska baseball player Zach Hirsch was featured on the Today Show Thursday morning, as his friendship with Graham Jackson, a St. Charles North High School student who has Asperger’s syndrome, was featured. Watch the inspiring story by clicking on the link below.

Lincoln - University of Nebraska Baseball Coach Mike Anderson announced that 11 high school seniors have signed National Letters-of-Intent to play baseball at Nebraska beginning in the 2011 season. The recruiting class features players from seven states. In addition, seven of the recruits garnered first-team all-state honors last season, including Nebraska products Logan Ehlers (Nebraska City, Neb.) and Mike Pritchard (Omaha, Neb.). Ehlers was the Louisville Slugger and Gatorade Player of the Year in Nebraska in 2009.

“These are kids we have followed and tracked for the last 18-24 months, and we are excited that they have signed to become Huskers,” Anderson said. “Our focus is always first in the Midwest in identifying players and tracking their development and have them continue that development in our program. The thing about this class is the balance, as have six pitchers and five position players. We are still going to have our work cut out for us because there are some kids in the class who are very draftable. This group, combined with the class we got to campus this fall, will set the tone for our program the next few years.”

Funny, entertaining and thought provoking stuff...so click away if you find the time to check them out during the holidays.

Have a great holiday!

If you are looking for a great place to donate to a good cause this Christmas, check out the Salvation Army's on-line kettle for your contribution. Not quite the same as putting money in the red kettle wherever bell ringers are located, but its a secure website and nearly 90% of your donation goes to "Doing The Most Good". Click on the website: http://www.SalvationArmyUSA.org/ and then click on the secure "Donate Now" kettle. You can also establish your own (or organization) kettle to collect donations in your name, or donate to one that is already established. Many thanks.
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On-line cards and Christmas greetings:

The concept of computerized Christmas light shows synchronized to music has grown exponentially and some of the coolest house lighting displays can be found at You Tube. Most of them are now professionally done and here are a few that you should get you looking for more.

Beautiful Christmas cards from Ashland University in Ohio...
Go to http://ecard.ashland.edu/gallery.php and click on any of their Christmas greetings. I especially like the 2005 and 2004 versions. When they are done, take a minute and listen to the university choir.

Christmas Card designs by Jacquie Lawson, a British graphic artist (she also does wonderful Thanksgiving and July 4th cards)...

The Twelve Days of Christmas - http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=GK29713286

Elf Snowball Fight - Sorry, but the Elf movie version has been taken down by the Warner Brothers folks, but there is still one you can play once you skip the card writing intro (good for easing the frustrations from Christmas shopping)...

Click the mouse to get the elves started, then click and hold to load the catapult, releasing when you want to give Santa the big ride. (takes a little practice to get him out there very far...especially before you fall into the crevasse. Not to brag, but I got him out to 270 feet) http://www.ebaumsworld.com/games/play/1087/
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Monday, December 21, 2009

A couple of sad notes from last weekend. First of all Ndamukong Suh didn't win the Heisman (but it was great to see him invited), and although the Volleyball Team won the first set against Texas in the regional finals on Saturday, they got aced out in three straight sets, ending their bid for another NCAA berth in the semi-finals.

I've also added more news about Holiday Bowl tickets and activities, and an article about immigrant demographics in the homeland helping with the economic recovery.
Go Big Red (White and Blue),Carl

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NU CONTINUES PREPARATIONS FOR HOLIDAY BOWL WITH ARIZONA GAME PLAN...
Lincoln, Neb. - After one day away from the practice fields, the Nebraska football team took to the Hawks Championship Center for a two-hour practice on Tuesday afternoon.

"It was a decent practice," Nebraska Coach Bo Pelini said. "It was a decent tempo. Nothing great. It was pretty average. We have to pick up the tempo even more tomorrow."

The Huskers continued to work on fundamentals as they prepare for the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 30, but have also incorporated the game plan for Arizona into their work this week. NU looks to have solid practices this week, as it will take most of next week off for the holidays.

"This an important week of practice, really important," Pelini said. "It's a schedule I have been around. I like the schedule. You have to make use every time we have practice."

Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was back to the grind for the first time Tuesday after missing three practices to attend award ceremonies in the past week. The 6-4 senior captured numerous major awards, including the Rotary Lombardi Award, the Outland Trophy, the Bronko Nagurski Award and the Chuck Bednarik Award. He was also a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.

While the Holiday Bowl is the main focus for Nebraska, the NU coaching staff will continue to mix in recruiting during the coming weeks, Pelini said.
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SUH FINISHES FOURTH IN HEISMAN RACE...

Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh finished fourth Saturday in the voting of the closest Heisman race ever. Suh was one of five finalists present for the ceremony at the Nokia Theater in New York City.

Suh finished the voting with 815 points. He was bidding to become the second defensive player to win the Heisman, but a two-man race developed with Alabama running back Mark Ingram (1,304 points) just getting past Stanford running back Toby Gerhart (1,276 points) by 28 points for the Heisman. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy (1,145 points) followed in third ahead of Suh.

Suh just missed the best-ever finish for an interior defensive lineman in the Heisman voting, as he trails only the third-place finishes by Iowa's Alex Karras and Nebraska's Rich Glover in 1957 and 1972, respectively. Despite finishing fourth in the Heisman voting, Suh is among the most decocarted defensive players in college football history. Earlier this week, Suh won the Nagurski, Lombardi, Bednarik and Outland trophies.

Suh's fourth-place finish marks the 17th time a Nebraska player has finished in the top 10 in the Heisman voting, but the first since Eric Crouch won the award in 2001. Suh is the third defensive tackle and fourth Husker lineman to finish in the top 10, including middle guard Wayne Meylan (9th in 1966), middle guard Rich Glover (3rd in 1971) and offensive tackle Zach Wiegert (9th in 1994).

On hand at the Heisman ceremony were Suh's parents, Michael and Bernadette, as well as his sister, Ngum. Head Coach Bo Pelini, along with the entire Nebraska defensive staff also traveled to New York City on Saturday for the award, along with Assistant Athletic Director Jeff Jamrog and Head Football Strength Coach James Dobson.

Suh's banquet circuit is not quite over. Suh will travel to the Los Angeles area on Sunday for the Lott Trophy banquet on Sunday evening, before returning to Lincoln on Monday morning. Suh is scheduled to complete his undergraduate work next week and will pick up his degree in Lincoln next Saturday.
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HUSKERS IN THE NFL - WEEK 14...

Lincoln - A total of 25 former Huskers saw action during Week 14 of the 2009 NFL season.

Cody Glenn and the Indianapolis Colts locked up homefield advantage throughout the playoffs with a 28-16 win over Denver, as the Colts are now a perfect 13-0. For the Broncos, Correll Buckhalter carried four times for 19 yards. Russ Hochstein also helped protect Kyle Orton as he completed a NFL-record 21 passed to Brandon Marshall for 200 yards and two scores.

Mike Brown and Demorrio Williams once again led the Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive attack as the two former Huskers were 1-2 in tackles in a 16-10 loss to Buffalo. Brown led the way with nine total stops, including eight solo tackles, while Williams added another eight tackles (seven solo). On the other side of the ball, Chris Kelsey assisted in the Bills’ win by producing three tackles, one sack and a forced fumble.

Barrett Ruud totaled 11 tackles, including eight solo stops, but it was not enough to hold off Matt Slauson and the Jets, as the Buccaneers fell to 1-12 with a 26-3 loss. Ruud has been one of the bright spots for Tampa Bay on the year as NU’s all-time leading tackler has accumulated 113 tackles through 13 games, marking the third straight season he has hit triple-digits tackles.

===========TEXAS TOPS NEBRASKA TO REACH NCAA SEMIFINALS...

Omaha, Neb. - The second-seeded Texas volleyball team used another outstanding offensive performance and a dominant effort at the net to defeat No. 10 seed Nebraska, 3-1, on Saturday night in the NCAA Omaha Regional Final in front of 9,253 fans at the Qwest Center.

With the win, the Longhorns advance to the NCAA National Semifinals for the second straight year. Texas will meet 11th-seeded Minnesota on Thursday at 6 p.m. (Central) at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla.

The Longhorns dropped the first set on Saturday night, but just as was the case the previous four times it lost the opening set, Texas rallied to win. After falling 25-21 in set one, Texas took the next three sets by scores of 25-18, 25-16, 25-17 to improve to 28-1 on the season. The Longhorns also became the first team in the NCAA era to defeat Nebraska three times in the same season.

Regional Most Outstanding Player Destinee Hooker paced Texas with 18 kills on 40 swings. She was one of five Longhorns who hit above .300 in the match. Juliann Faucette added 14 kills as Texas hit .342 in the match, an impressive figure as the Huskers had held seven straight opponents to .150 or less.

Nebraska only finished with three fewer kills than Texas, but the Huskers were blocked nine times and committed 26 errors while hitting at a .179 clip. After hitting .297 in the opening set, Nebraska hit .167 or worse in each of the final three sets. Three Huskers totaled double-figures in kills, led by Lindsey Licht with 12. Kori Cooper added 11 kills in her final match, while Tara Mueller tallied 10 kills.

Nebraska won five of the first six rallies to jump out to a quick 5-1 lead in set one. The Huskers led 8-3 before Texas burned an early time out. NU stretched the lead to 11-4, before Texas used a 4-1 run to trim the lead to 16-12 and force a Husker time out. Nebraska scored a kill after the break before two Husker hitting errors and a Hooker ace closed the gap to 17-14 and forced Nebraska to spend another time out. The Huskers were the first to 20 at 20-16 and stretched the lead to 23-18 before Mueller closed out a four-point win with a kill, as Nebraska won its its 31st straight set.

In set two, Texas didn't record its first kill until the 14th rally, but by the time Rachael Adams finally found the floor, it tied the score at 7-7 against the error-prone Huskers. The Longhorns took their first lead of the match one rally later on Nebraska's seventh error of the set. Nebraska rallied to take a 12-8 lead before a 5-1 Longhorn run gave Texas a 15-13 lead at the media time out. The Huskers pulled even at 16 before Texas' offense got into a rhythm. The Longhorns won the next five rallies and closed the set on a 9-2 run. In evening the match, Texas hit .364 in the second set but had six fewer kills than Nebraska, as the Huskers had 10 attack errors - including three Longhorn blocks - and four service errors.

It was Texas who got off to the quick start in set three, scoring five of the first seven points. Nebraska got as close as three before the Longhorns pulled away behind an extremely efficient offense. The lead grew to 17-9 when Nebraska spent its final time out. At that point, Texas had 11 kills in the set on only 19 swings while Nebraska had only four kills. The Longhorns led by as many as 10 down the stretch before a Jennifer Doris kill wrapped up the set. Texas hit a blistering .467 in the set, totaling 10 more kills than Nebraska while out-hitting the Huskers by more than .200 for the second straight set.

After Nebraska scored the first two points of set four, Texas answered with a 6-1 run to take a three-point lead. The Huskers chipped away at the lead and used a 4-1 run to move in front 9-8 and force a Texas time out. The Longhorns won the first two rallies after the break and neither team led by more than one until Texas seized control of the set and the match with a decisive 8-1 run that put the Longhorns in front 21-14. Texas then won three of the final five rallies, as Adams punched UT's ticket to the National Semifinals with a kill on Texas' second match point.

Nebraska, which was appearing in an NCAA Regional Final for a nation-leading sixth straight season, saw its 10-match winning streak snapped. The Huskers finished the season with a 26-7 record.

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FOUR HUSKERS NAMED AVCA ALL-AMERICANS...

Lincoln – Four Nebraska volleyball players were honored Wednesday morning, as the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced its 2009 All-America team. Sophomore middle blocker Brooke Delano led the charge as a second-team selection, while junior setter Sydney Anderson was tabbed for the third team. In addition, senior middle blocker Kori Cooper and freshman outside hitter Hannah Werth were chosen as honorable-mention selections.

Nebraska leads the nation with 67 AVCA All-America selections (first, second and third-team) and has had at least one All-American in 28 consecutive seasons. The Husker program has produced 32 All-Americans in John Cook’s 10 seasons as Nebraska’s head coach.

Delano continues a tradition of middle blocking All-Americans, as she averaged 2.34 kills and 1.09 blocks per set in her first year as Nebraska’s starting middle blocker. She ranked fifth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.339) and sixth in blocking and was the only sophomore to rank in the top 10 in both categories. Delano reached double figures in kills in 10 matches, including a season-high 14 kills against Oklahoma and No. 11 Minnesota. Her best offensive night came against Missouri on Nov. 4, when she totaled 10 kills on .833 hitting against the Tigers. Delano averaged 2.54 kills per set on .329 hitting in four NCAA matches, as the Huskers faced three ranked teams in the postseason. Nebraska middle blockers have combined for 10 AVCA All-America awards this decade.

Anderson collected her second straight All-America award after averaging 11.53 assists, 0.77 kills and 2.45 digs per set in 2009. She ranked 13th nationally in assists while running an offense that ranked in the top 10 nationally in both kills and assists per game. She owned a team-high 14 double-doubles and helped the Huskers hit .300 or better in 13 matches. Anderson produced 50 or more assists five times, including a career-best 57 assists in a sweep of Missouri on Oct. 18. It marks the 19th time in the last 26 seasons a Husker setter has earned All-America honors, and Anderson becomes the eighth Nebraska setter to be a two-time All-American.

Cooper earned honorable-mention All-America honors for the second straight season, as she averaged 2.49 kills and 0.89 blocks per set this fall. She led the Big 12 in hitting percentage at .372, which ranked 20th nationally after returning from knee surgery in November of 2008. Cooper reached double figures in kills seven times this season, including a career-high 16 kills on .414 hitting against No. 14 Iowa State on Oct. 21. She hit .400 or better in 13 matches in 2009, including a career-best .765 on 13 kills against Texas A&M on Nov. 13. A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, Cooper finished her career with 734 kills on .368 hitting and 0.94 blocks per set to help Nebraska to a 121-13 record in that stretch.

Werth finished the 2009 campaign averaging a team-best 3.18 kills per game along with 3.07 digs per set, becoming the first Husker freshman to average more than 3.00 kills and 3.00 digs per set. She led all Big 12 freshmen in kills and totaled 13 double-doubles on the season. An honorable-mention AVCA All-Central Region selection, Werth raised her level of play in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 3.15 kills, 3.62 digs and 0.54 blocks per set in four NCAA matches. Werth finished the season ranked second on NU’s career freshman digs list with 332 and third on the list with 343 digs.
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YANZ TO END VOLLEYBALL CAREER...

Lincoln – University of Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook announced Wednesday that Jessica Yanz has decided to forego her final season playing volleyball in the Husker program. Yanz, a fourth-year junior, will graduate this May from Nebraska with a degree in business administration.

“This has been a very difficult decision for me, but one that my parents and I believe to be in my best interest,” Yanz said. “It was an honor to play for a program as prestigious as Nebraska in front of the greatest fans in college volleyball. To my teammates, coaches, support staff, and fans alike, thank you for everything you have done for me over the past two years. My time here at Nebraska will never be forgotten.”

Cook appreciates the contributions that Yanz has made at Nebraska in helping the Huskers to a 57-10 mark, a Big 12 title and an NCAA semifinals appearance since joining the Husker program.

“Jess has given a lot to our program over the last two years,” Cook said. “She has earned the respect of her teammates and our staff with her work ethic in the gym and how she has supported her teammates. We wish her nothing but success in the future.”

After transferring from Penn State in 2008, Yanz appeared in 10 matches for the Huskers this season, totaling 25 assists and 13 digs while backing up All-American Sydney Anderson. She totaled season highs in both assists (17) and digs (seven) against UL-Lafayette and helped Nebraska to a 26-7 record and a sixth straight NCAA Regional finals appearance in 2009.
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HOLIDAY BOWL TICKETS...

We have one ticket for sale to the NU-UA Holiday Bowl at the price of $81, what we paid for it. If you could advertise for us with the Bay Area Husker Fans, we would appreciate it! The ticket is in the South end zone, lower level Section 15. Its on the Pac 10 side of the field but a great view of the game. For more info contact:

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ALUMNI ASSOCIATION STILL HAS TICKETS TO THE HOLIDAY BOWL...

The Nebraska Alumni Association has some of the best seats still available as part of a game day package that also includes passes to the Husker Huddle, the official pre-game tailgate for Husker fans. This pre-game pep rally will be held less than 50 yards from Qualcomm Stadium and features the Husker Sports Network’s pre-game broadcast, visits from University and athletic department dignitaries, former Huskers and the NU Spirit Squad and pep band. This can’t-miss event also includes a full buffet (see options below) and plenty of giveaways.

Tickets can be purchased only by calling 888-353-1874. The following options are available:

$125 Scarlet Package –game ticket and admission to the Husker Huddle, includes full buffet.

$80 Cream Package –game ticket and admission to the Husker Huddle (access to cash bar and spirit program, but NO FOOD).

$65 Scarlet Huddle Only – Admission to Husker Huddle with food, NO GAME TICKET.

$20 Cream Huddle Only – Admission to the Husker Huddle (access to cash bar and spirit program. NO GAME TICKET. NO FOOD).

* Please note, there is an additional $16 shipping and handling (FedEx) charge to have your tickets mailed to you.

Additional details about the Huddle, including the menu, location and program, will be posted on our Web site as they become available.
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HUSKERPEDIA ACTIVITIES AT THE HOLIDAY BOWL...

All of the HuskerPedia San Diego Holiday Bowl events have been finalized. Due to multiple requests we have changed the Friday night event at the Elks Club to a concert only format. This is the smallest venue of the three and is limited to 400 people. We have to give each venue an accurate head count as possible so please purchase your tickets now. All events will have a higher cover charge at the door.

The game day tailgate is in the largest venue space on the parking lot. It is located close to the trolley stop as is the House of Blues. On game day you can take the trolley from your hotel to the game, from the game to the House of Blues and then back to your hotel. No need for a designated driver.

There have been a lot of changes in the HuskerPedia events for the Holiday Bowl. The main change is a change of venue for the Tuesday, Dec. 29th Sidetrack Concert. It has been moved to Dick's Last Resort in the Gas Lamp District just a few blocks from the team hotel and within walking distance of several downtown hotels. Here is the summary:

Tuesday, Dec. 29th - Dick's Last Resort, $10 cover charge, no advance sales, get there early and enjoy the crab dinner special.

Game Day tailgate - Section A 4 of the stadium parking lot. Doors open at 11:30 for advance sales, noon for walk ups. Cost is $39 in advance, $50 walk up price.

Left Turn Party in Salt Lake City on Dec. 27th - venue has been changed to the Utahns for Nebraska watch site and price is $15 for adults and $10 for kids and includes food. Join the UT4NE crowd on the way to the game.

Hotel rooms - Get a great rate at several San Diego Hotels at this link or by calling 888-878-9649.

When coming to the game please consider taking the trolley and/or bus system to get around. Parking can be expensive and hard to find. The House of Blues and Dick's Last Resort are located within walking distance of several downtown hotels. The best rate is at the Westin downtown. and is close to trolley and bus lines.

The Tailgate the Nation crew will be filming at our tailgate and we will become a part of their documentary that is scheduled to be released next summer. Come to California and be in the movies. Hope to see you in San Diego.

Nebraska Head Softball Coach Rhonda Revelle was selected for induction into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the NFCA announced Saturday morning on the final day of its National Convention in Nashville, Tenn.

With her selection, Revelle joins an elite group of Hall of Fame coaches. The NFCA first began electing members to its Hall of Fame in 1991 and in nearly 20 years, only 53 coaches have been selected for induction. Joining Revelle in the 2010 Hall of Fame Class, which will be formally inducted in December of 2010, are Chris Bellotto, the head coach at Florida Southern and Melinda Fischer, the head coach at Illinois State.

Revelle was humbled by the honor and gave much of the credit to all of the people who have been involved with Nebraska softball throughout her career.

"It is extremely humbling to think about going into the NFCA Hall of Fame," she said. "It is even more of an honor to be inducted as a coach from the University of Nebraska. I am so fortunate to have always been surrounded by such a great team. This award truly belongs to the entire Nebraska softball community."

Entering her 18th season in 2010, Revelle owns a 650-342 career record at Nebraska. She is the winningest coach in Nebraska softball history and ranks third in all-time victories among all Husker coaches across all sports.

After spending her first two seasons in Lincoln laying the foundation to rebuild the Husker softball program, Revelle has produced impressive results over the past 15 seasons. During that span, Nebraska has made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, while capturing six Big 12 titles and twice advancing to the Women's College World Series.

The Huskers have won at least 35 games in 14 of the past 15 seasons, as Revelle has guided Nebraska to the top eight season win totals in school history, including the only three 50-win seasons in Husker history. Individually, Revelle has coached 14 All-Americans in her first 17 seasons, while also producing 10 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, a total that ranks third nationally.

Revelle ranks in the top 25 all-time among Division I coaches in winning percentage (minimum of 15 seasons) and is also among the top 25 Division I active coaches in victories at their current school.

To be eligible for induction into the NFCA Hall of Fame, the individual must have served as a head coach for a minimum of 15 years, must have been an NFCA member in good standing for a minimum of six years during his or her coaching career and must have made contributions to the NFCA by serving on committees, holding office, or serving in other capacities.

In addition to her coaching career, Revelle has twice served as NFCA President, along with a stint as Second Vice President. She has also been actively involved in NFCA committees, serving as a member of the NFCA All-American Committee for four years before chairing the committee for two more years.

Revelle's commitment to coaching and developing student-athletes on and off the field, while also contributing to the softball community at large made her a natural selection for the NFCA Hall of Fame, according to Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne.

"Rhonda Revelle has had an exceptional coaching career and has made a great contribution to not only the softball program here at the University of Nebraska but to women's athletics in general," said Osborne, the former Husker football coach who was enshrined in the National College Football Hall of Fame.

"She has had a long and distinguished career and has been someone who not only has been successful on the field but has promoted academic success and strong values among her student-athletes. I am very pleased that she is being selected for this honor."
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LATINOS, ASIANS BOOST NEBRASKA ECONOMY...

OMAHA, Neb. – Asians and Latinos in Nebraska had a buying power of nearly $3.8 billion in 2008 and data continue to show immigrants are among those making significant contributions to the state's economy, according to a report issued Monday by a national immigration policy group.

Nebraska's foreign-born population, which contributes as workers, employers and taxpayers, will therefore play an integral role in helping the state recover from tough economic times, says the report by the Washington-based Immigration Policy Center.

A Nebraska Department of Economic Development spokeswoman said she would review the report, but couldn't immediately comment Monday.

The report that uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau and other research groups, including the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia, is the latest in the policy center's state-by-state look at the economic and political power of immigrants and their children.

Findings can be considered by states as officials examine related legislation, said center spokeswoman Wendy Sefsaf.

The report doesn't differentiate between legal and illegal immigrants because of a lack of available data.

"That's what's so problematic about the undocumented population is that they're clandestine and they're very, very hard to track," Sefsaf said.

Latinos made up 7.5 percent of the state's population in 2007. Asians made up 1.4 percent.

Asians and Latinos in California wield the most purchasing power among all states — $412 billion, according to the Selig Center's analysis.

In 2007, Nebraska was home to more than 98,500 immigrants, or 5.6 percent of the state's population. More than 36,000 were naturalized citizens, meaning they were eligible to vote, according to the report.

Foreign-born workers accounted for 6.5 percent of the state's work force.

The report referenced research unveiled last year from the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Office of Latino/Latin American Studies. It found that in 2006, immigrant spending amounted to $1.6 billion and created about 12,000 jobs statewide.

Attention recently has been paid in Nebraska to public costs incurred because of illegal immigrants. Earlier this year, Gov. Dave Heineman signed into law a measure aimed at preventing illegal immigrants from collecting public benefits like food stamps, unemployment and welfare.

Some state senators had questioned whether the bill was needed when a federal law already prohibits illegal immigrants from receiving most state benefits.

Although lawmakers were unable to provide comprehensive data detailing costs incurred by the state, Labor Department officials cited a savings of more than $322,000 in 2008 gained through verifying the legal status of people receiving unemployment insurance benefits.

The policy group's report doesn't examine costs, although Sefsaf acknowledged there are some.

There's a lot of people out there documenting the fiscal costs of every service (immigrants) potentially use, but they never counterbalance that with the economic benefits," she said.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Just another quick note to pass along a couple articles about Suh's two additional awards (Outland and Bednarik) from yesterday's ESPN awards show, and to send some additional info from HUSKERPEDIA about the upcoming bowl game (tickets, hotels, parties etc). You should also check out the opening page at www.huskers.com as the athletic department has created an impressive promo about Suh as we wait for the results of the Heisman award. He has a chance to pick up two more major awards and we're all hoping that the Heisman is one of them. Keep your fingers crossed!

GBR,Carl
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SUH EARNS MORE HARDWARE IN ORLANDO...

Lincoln - Nebraska may need to make some renovations to its new trophy case in the Osborne Athletic Complex. Senior defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh's awards may be out-growing the space available for hardware.

On Thursday night, Suh captured the Outland Trophy and the Chuck Bednarik Award. Both awards were presented in Orlando, Fla., at the ESPN Awards Show.

The Outland Trophy is presented annually to the Nation's Most Outstanding Interior Lineman, and Suh adds to Nebraska's long history with the award. Suh's trophy gives Nebraska a nation-leading nine Outland Trophies, four more than Oklahoma. Suh is the first Husker to win the award since offensive lineman Aaron Taylor captured the honor in 1997. The Outland Trophy will be officially presented to Suh at a banquet in Omaha on Jan. 14.

On Wednesday, evening Suh won the Rotary Lombardi Award in Houston and he is the fourth Husker player to sweep those awards in the same season, joining Rich Glover (1972), Dave Rimington (1982) and Dean Steinkuhler (1983). Overall, Suh is just the 12th player to captured the Outland and Lombardi in the same season, with the only other player to do so since 1996 being LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey in 2007.

Suh also made a clean sweep of the national defensive player-of-the-year awards by winning the Bednarik Award. The award is given to the Nation's Most Outstanding Defensive Player and is presented by the Maxwell Football Club. He is the first Husker to win the award in its 15-year history. Suh also won the Nagurski Trophy earlier this week, also given to the nation's top defender, and he is just the fifth player to sweep those two awards, most recently Miami's Dan Morgan in 2000.

Along with his two awards, Suh was also selected to the Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America team. In its 120th year, it is the nation’s oldest All-America team. Suh was one of seven Big 12 players named to the first-team, joining three players from Texas, two from Oklahoma and one from Oklahoma State.

The 6-4, 300-pound Suh was also a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year on Thursday night, but that award was given to Texas’ Colt McCoy. Suh will now travel to New York City on Friday morning where he is one of five finalists for the 75th Heisman Trophy. The Heisman ceremony will be televised by ESPN on Saturday evening beginning at 7 p.m. CT. Suh is also a finalist for the Lott Trophy, which will be presented on Sunday evening in Newport Beach, Calif.

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SUH TELLS COLLEGE FOOTBALL LIVE THAT HE REPRESENTS OFFENSIVE LINEMEN TOO...

Nebraska Senior Defensive Tackle Ndamukong Suh was on ESPN's College Football Live Show Wednesday afternoon, and he made a good impression.

The 2009 Nagurski Trophy and Lombardi Award winner was asked what it would mean if he won the Heisman Trophy.

"I would love to win the Heisman," Suh told ESPN. "I see myself as representative of those interior guys, really all the guys on the line, all the guys who do the dirty work - the unsung heroes, especially on the offensive line. They don't really get a lot of pub. At least as defensive guys, we get stats. We get sacks and certain things we can be recognized for. It would be a great honor to have that achievement."

Suh described his week as "a real whirlwind with a lot of late nights but a lot of fun."

"I've enjoyed soaking it all up," he said. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Suh visited with the hosts of College Football Live just hours before he was to attend the Home Depot ESPN College Football Awards Show in Orlando, which starts at 6 p.m. CT.

Suh is a finalist for the Outland Trophy and the Bednarik Award. On the 5 p.m. CT SportsCenter, the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award - another major award that Suh is a finalist for this week - will be announced.
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NEWS FROM HUSKERPEDIA...

The Huskers are going to the Holiday Bowl and we have reserved three venues for the Sidetrack Band.

Tuesday night dinner concert at the El Cajon Elks Club
Game Day tailgate at the stadium catered by the same restaurant as the USC game in LA with their awesome BBQ food.
Post-game celebration at the House of Blues

We have rented 100% of all three venues and do not have to share any of them. The Tuesday night event is for adults. Under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. The tailgate is for all ages. The House of Blues event is for 21 and older.

We are negotiating with a four star hotel in San Diego for attractive rates for a land only package. Check the link above for details. It will be updated on a regular basis with new offers and possibly discount coupons for local attractions. If you are looking for tickets only I can probably get them for you at less than broker rates. I have a limited supply of tickets in the view level. Reply to this email if you are interested.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Ouch! That one will sting for a long time. But hey, you gotta put it behind you and get on with plans for the Holiday Bowl. Lots of info below about the bowl matchup, tickets (via Alumni Assoc. and other sources), and activities in San Diego if you plan to make the trek.

The big news this week is Ndamukong Suh's trophy fest! So far he's won the Nagurski, Lombardi, Bednarik and Outland trophies (no article yet about the last two...just saw the info at ESPN.com for their awards show tonight). And he is one of the 5 contenders for the Heisman this weekend. Go get 'em Ndamukong!!!

The Volleyball team is going on to the second round of NCAA Tourney play and once again get the benefit of playing on home turf at the Omaha Quest Center for the matches this weekend. See the info below for details and broadcast info.

And the Omaha/Council Bluffs Metro area tops the Forbes list of "Best Bang for the Buck" affordable places to live in the USA. See the article at the end of the email. I just copied the top ten, but if you go to the link you can see the entire list.

Nebraska has been selected to participate in the 32nd annual Pacific Life Holiday Bowl on Dec. 30 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. The 9-4 Cornhuskers are set to take on 8-4 Arizona, one of three teams that finished tied for second in the Pacific-10 Conference.

Kickoff for the Holiday Bowl is set for 5 p.m. PST (7 p.m. CST) on Dec. 30, with ESPN providing the telecast to a national audience.

Nebraska is making its second appearance in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl and its first since 1998. Ironically, Nebraska also squared off against Arizona in that contest, dropping a 23-20 decision in front of a sold-out Qualcomm Stadium. This will mark just the third overall meeting between the schools, including a 14-14 tie in Lincoln in 1961.

The Huskers are coming off a 13-12 loss to No. 2 Texas on Saturday evening in the Big 12 Championship Game in Arlington, Texas. The loss ended a five-game Nebraska win streak and was its third of the season by either one or two points. The Huskers' four losses this season have come by a total of 25 points.

Arizona has also had its share of close games this fall. The Wildcats four losses have come by a total of 24 points, and they also have four wins by five or fewer points, including Saturday's 21-17 victory at USC to earn the Holiday Bowl bid.

Arizona is strong on both sides of the football, ranking 40th nationally in total offense, while featuring a balanced attack. The Wildcat defense is ranked 21st nationally in total defense allowing just 315.8 yards per game. Wildcat coach Mike Stoops is in his sixth season at the school and he has guided Arizona to back-to-back eight-win seasons.

Nebraska received a team allotment of 11,000 tickets for the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl. The remaining tickets in Nebraska's allotment will be available available to the general public at Huskers.com, beginning at 8 p.m. Sunday night.

The Athletic Ticket Office (Stadium Drive Parking Garage) will open Monday morning at 8 a.m. and at that time will also sell tickets in person or by phone at 1-800-8-BIG-RED. There will not be tickets held for in-person or phone sales in the event that all tickets sell on-line before 8 a.m. on Monday morning. Tickets for the game are $60 and $30.

Other Nebraska Bowl Notes

--The 2009 Pacific Life Holiday Bowl appearance will be Nebraska's 46th all-time bowl appearance, the fifth-most in college football history.

--Nebraska has a 23-22 record in bowl games and has won nine of its last 13 bowl games and three of its past four since 2003.

--This year's game will be Nebraska's fourth bowl game in the state of California, including the two Holiday Bowl appearances and the 1941 and 2002 Rose Bowl games.

--Nebraska is 0-3 against the Pac-10 in bowl games. In addition to the 1998 Holiday Bowl against Arizona, Nebraska also lost bowl games against Stanford (1941 Rose) and Arizona State (1975 Fiesta).
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NEBRASKA SELLS ALL OF ITS HOLIDAY BOWL TICKET ALLOTMENT OF 11,000...

The Nebraska Athletic Department announced Tuesday that the school has sold its allotment of 11,000 tickets to the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl football game on Dec. 30.

Holly Adam, Nebraska's Assistant Athletic Director for Tickets, said NU sold about 4,000 tickets in the last day-and-a-half after Husker donors had purchased the first 7,000 available bowl tickets.

"Even though we've sold out of our allotment, the game is not a sellout," Adam said, acknowledging that her office will now direct Husker fans to the bowl's website - www.pacificlifeholidaybowl.com - to purchase tickets.

Another option for Husker fans, Adam said, is Holiday Bowl opponent Arizona, which is just finishing its donor requests. The Wildcats will have its remaining tickets available for the general public, beginning Tuesday night. Fans can go to www.arizonawildcats.com to order.

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HOLIDAY BOWL TICKET FOR SALE...

We have one ticket for sale to the NU-UA Holiday Bowl at the price of $81, what we paid for it. If you could advertise for us with the Bay Area Husker Fans, we would appreciate it!
Diane Dodd
925-210-1721doddlings4@comcast.net

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HORNS SQUEAK PAST HUSKERS...

Arlington, Texas - Ndamukong Suh and the Nebraska Blackshirts provided another dominant defensive performance, but No. 3 Texas escaped from Cowboys Stadium with a 13-12 victory over the No. 22 Huskers on a walk-off 46-yard field goal in the Big 12 Championship Game on Saturday night.

Suh, a senior All-America defensive tackle who is a candidate for every major national defensive award, set a Big 12 Championship Game record with 4.5 sacks among his seven tackles for loss and game-high 12 total tackles, while the Blackshirts sacked Texas Heisman Trophy candidate Colt McCoy nine times. The Blackshirts also intercepted McCoy three times, which all led to Alex Henery field goals in the game. The Blackshirts notched 18 tackles for 65 yards lost against the Longhorns.

The final Henery field goal came from 43 yards out with 1:44 left to give Nebraska a 12-10 lead over the 13-0 Longhorns. The Huskers, who fell to 9-4 with three of their losses by two points or less, watched the Longhorns quickly get into field goal range after Nebraska's ensuing kickoff bounced out of bounds to give UT possession at its own 40 to start the drive.

Texas drove to the NU 26, but the Blackshirts stiffened and pushed the Longhorns back on a pair of plays before McCoy rolled right and threw a floater out of bounds to try and stop the clock, even though Texas had a timeout. The clock initially went to zero and Nebraska briefly celebrated a victory, before officials cleared the field and put one second back on the clock to give UT a last field goal attempt. Hunter Lawrence snuck a 46-yard field goal just inside the left upright to give the Longhorns the Big 12 title.

Nebraska's defense held McCoy and the high-powered Longhorn offense to just 202 yards of total offense, including just 18 yards on the ground. The Huskers mustered just 106 yards of total offense against UT, but a 4-for-4 performance from Henery on field goals nearly provided Nebraska with a league title and a berth in the Bowl Championship Series.

The Huskers jumped to a 3-0 lead less than four minutes into the game after an Eric Hagg interception of a McCoy pass on a ball that was tipped at the line of scrimmage by Pierre Allen set up Henery's 45-yard field goal.

Less than five minutes later, Henery allowed the Huskers to capitalize on a Prince Amukamara interception of McCoy with a 52-yard field goal with 6:32 left in the opening quarter.

The two defenses controlled the rest of the half, until the Longhorns finally cracked through on a two-yard touchdown dive by McCoy with 2:19 left in the half, which capped a nine-play, 42-yard drive.

Texas pushed the lead to 10-6 with 1:40 left in the third quarter, when Lawrence kicked his first field goal of the night from 39 yards out to close out a six-play, 30-yard drive.

While the offense continued to struggle for the Huskers, Niles Paul came up with a huge special teams plays to ignite Nebraska's chances to upset the unbeaten Longhorns.

Paul returned a 46-yard Justin Tucker punt 43 yards to the UT 10. Four plays later, Henery booted his shortest field goal of the night from 28 yards, after the Husker offense lost a yard on the short drive, but still trimmed the Texas lead to 10-9.

On Adi Kunalic's ensuing kickoff, Marqui Goodman slipped and fell at the UT 1 as he was catching the kickoff to pin the Longhorns against their own goal line. But McCoy then led Texas on its longest drive of the night - 14 plays and 65 yards - driving to the NU 34, before Dejon Gomes made an outstanding play to give the Blackshirts their third interception of McCoy on the night.

Nebraska's offense then capitalized with its most sustained drive of the night - 8 plays and 43 yards, as Zac Lee sprinted 17 yards on the opening play of the drive. Three plays later, Lee hit Brandon Kinnie on a 16-yard pass play. Rex Burkhead moved the pile four yards on the next three plays to get to the UT 26, setting up Henery's go-ahead field goal.

Roy Helu Jr. led the Huskers with 10 carries for 32 yards, while Burkhead carried 17 times for 22 yards against a stingy and disciplined Longhorn defense. Lee managed six carries for 12 yards, while completing just 6-of-19 passes for 39 yards and three interceptions. McCoy completed 20-of-36 passes for 186 yards and also three interceptions, while Tre' Newton led all rushers with 36 yards on 19 carries. Jordan Shipley led all receivers with seven catches for 71 yards, including a big play on the UT drive to set up the winning score.

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SUH WINS ROTARY LOMBARDI AWARD...

The postseason award haul continues for Nebraska senior defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. On Wednesday night, Suh won the 40th Rotary Lombardi Award at an awards banquet in downtown Houston. The Lombardi Award goes to the college football lineman -- offensive or defensive -- who in addition to displaying outstanding performance and ability, best exemplifies the character and discipline of Vince Lombardi.

Suh becomes the fifth Nebraska player to win the Lombardi Award, joining Rich Glover (1972), Dave Rimington (1982), Dean Steinkuhler (1983) and Grant Wistrom (1997). Nebraska's five Lombardi awards are the second-most by one school in the 40-year history of the award, trailing only Ohio State's six Lombardi Award winners.

Other finalists for the 2009 Rotary Lombardi Award included Alabama nose tackle Terrence Cody, TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes and Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. Among those in attendance at Wednesday night's banquet were Suh's parents, Michael and Bernadette, as well as Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pelini.

The presentation of the Rotary Lombardi Award to Suh also continues a run of success for defensive lineman under the direction of Nebraska Head Coach Bo Pelini. Two seasons ago, LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey captured the Nagurski, Lombardi, Outland and Lott trophies while Pelini was the defensive coordinator with the Tigers, and it appears Suh could be in line for a similar award haul this season.

Suh has now captured a pair of major awards this week after winning the Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Monday night in Charlotte, N.C. On Thursday night, Suh is a finalist for three awards that will be presented at the ESPN College Football Awards Show (ESPN, 6 p.m. CT)-the Outland Trophy, the Bednarik Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.

Suh's week will be culminated with a trip to New York City as one of five finalists for the 75th Heisman Trophy.

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SUH EARNS BRONKO NAGURSKI AWARD AS NATION'S TOP DEFENDER...

Senior defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh picked up his first major piece of hardware as he was named the winner of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation's best defensive player. The annual award was presented Monday night by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the Charlotte Touchdown Club at a banquet in Charlotte, N.C.

Suh was chosen from a field of finalists that also included Pat Angerer (LB, Iowa), Eric Berry (DB, Tennessee), Terrence Cody (DL, Alabama) and Jerry Hughes (DE, TCU). The 6-4, 300-pound Suh became the first Cornhusker to win the award as the nation's best defensive player and is the first Blackshirt to earn a major honor since Grant Wistrom was named the Lombardi Award winner in 1997. Suh is also a finalist for the Rotary Lombardi Award as well as the Outland Trophy, Bednarik Award, Lott Trophy and the Walter Camp National Player of the Year Award.

Already named a first-team All-American this year by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Suh has been a dominant force from his interior defensive lineman position. His presence has been noticed so much that on Monday, Suh was also named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, the first Blackshirt to be a finalist since middle guard Rich Glover finished third in the Heisman voting in 1972.

Suh has blown over opponents all year long and heads into the bowl season leading the team in tackles for the second straight season. He has recorded 82 tackles this year, including 50 solo stops while wreaking havoc in opponents' backfields. Suh has recorded 12.0 sacks and 23 tackles for loss, both marks that rank among the top three in Nebraska single-season history. His 10 pass breakups this year are a position season record and he has added 26 quarterback hurries, an interception, a forced fumble and three blocked kicks.

Suh is the fifth player from the Big 12 Conference to win the award since 2001. He joins last year's award winner Brian Orakpo (Texas), along with Derrick Johnson (Texas, 2004), Derrick Strait (Oklahoma, 2003) and Roy Williams (Texas, 2001) in representing the league.

Presented since 1993, the Nagurski Trophy is awarded in memory of the legendary All-America lineman at Minnesota from 1927 to 1929. He was also a star for the Chicago Bears in the 1930s.

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SUH SELECTED AT HEISMAN TROPHY FINALIST...

Senior defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was named one of five finalists for the Heisman Memorial Trophy Award, given annually to the most outstanding college football player in the country. The announcement of his selection as a finalist came on Monday afternoon in a live segment of ESPN SportsCenter.

Suh will join Colt McCoy (Texas, quarterback), Mark Ingram (Alabama, running back), Toby Gerhart (Stanford, running back) and Tim Tebow (Florida, quarterback) at the 75th Heisman Trophy awards announcement, which will take place on Saturday, Dec. 12, at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square. The event will be televised live from New York City at 5 p.m. PST on ESPN.

"It is a tremendous honor and very humbling to be a finalist for a prestigious award like the Heisman Trophy," Suh said. "I'm excited to be included with a great group of finalists for this year's award."

"Suh is certainly deserving of any honors that may come his way this week," Nebraska Head Coach Bo Pelini said. "He is a special football player -- as good as anyone in the country, in my opinion. It is good to see that the Heisman voters have recognized the true impact a dominant defensive lineman like Suh can have on a football game."

Suh is the first Heisman finalist for Nebraska since quarterback Eric Crouch won the school's third Heisman Trophy in 2001. Crouch joined past Husker winners Johnny Rodgers (1972) and Mike Rozier (1983) as Nebraska ranks third in Heisman Trophy winners since 1970.

Overall, Suh is likely to be the 17th Husker to finish in the top 10 of voting for the award and third NU defensive player. Middle guard Rich Glover was third in the voting in 1972 behind teammate and winner Rodgers, while Wayne Meylan, also a middle guard, was ninth in Heisman voting in 1966.

Only once has a defensive player won the Heisman Trophy, as Michigan's Charles Woodson took the top honor in 1997. Primarily a cornerback, Woodson also played on offense and special teams while winning the award in his junior season. Suh has only played on offense once this year, lining up in the backfield for a few snaps in Nebraska's 13-12 loss to Texas in the Big 12 Championship Game.

During that contest, Suh demonstrated why he should be included among the most outstanding players in the country. The Portland, Ore., native dominated the line of scrimmage against the Longhorns, racking up a career-best-tying 12 tackles while adding 4.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss. He pressured fellow Heisman finalist Colt McCoy throughout the night, individually recording more sacks against McCoy than any team as a whole has ever sacked him during his four-year career.

On the season, Suh leads the Cornhuskers with 82 tackles, including 50 solo stops. He is bidding to become the first defensive lineman ever to lead the Blackshirts in tackles in consecutive years, as he also paced the team with 76 tackles last season.

Suh is sixth nationally in sacks with 12.0 this season, moving him to third on the Cornhuskers' single-season list while bringing his career total to 24.0 to place fourth all-time in Nebraska history. He also moved to second on the Huskers' career TFL chart with 56, just three away from the record currently held by two-time All-American Grant Wistrom (58.5).

Suh also has 26 quarterback hurries this year while adding 10 pass breakups. The 6-4, 300-pounder ranks in the top 80 nationally (all positions) for passes defended as he added his fourth career interception earlier this fall. Suh has added a forced fumble and has blocked three kicks this year while leading the Huskers to a 9-4 record, and a berth in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl against Arizona on Dec. 30.

On Monday, Suh started a national awards tour that will eventually end in New York City, as he was on his way to Charlotte, N.C., for the banquet to announce the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner, given to the best defensive player in the country. Suh will then travel to Houston on Wednesday for the Lombardi Award presentation and will be on hand for the Home Depot ESPN College Awards Show on Thursday, Dec. 10. Suh is a finalist for the Outland Trophy at the event, as well as the Bednarik Award. The Walter Camp All-America Team also will be announced during the live telecast on ESPN starting at 6 p.m.
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SUH TOPS ALL CANDIDATES IN ESPN/NISSAN WEBSITE VOTING POLL...really great considering he was a write in candidate! (thanks to all who voted)...

This can't leave the room, because Heisman votes are supposed to be kind of secret. But here's the decision if you promise not to tell anyone else, since the deadline passed Monday.

Maybe we should start at the beginning. Like most voters, I first noticed quarterbacks — Heisman electors are drawn to passers like the swallows return to Capistrano.

But good reports also kept coming in about a Nebraska defensive lineman.

This Ndamai …Ndema … well, whatever his name is.

The quarterback candidacies began to fade as the season hummed along. Reigning winner Sam Bradford was quickly out, since nobody wins the Heisman from beneath an MRI machine. Tim Tebow is highly admirable, but this is not a career achievement award, and his 2009 had some bumpy patches.

Colt McCoy stayed on the short list. So did a platoon of running backs. Alabama's Mark Ingram, Stanford's Toby Gerhart, Clemson's C.J. Spiller.

And it was hard to forget the Nebraska lineman, since he seemed to be treating offenses each week as if they were abandoned cars and he was the metal crusher.

This Ndomor …Ndmaer … well, whatever his name is.

Last weekend was for closing arguments.

Gerhart wasn't playing, but he'd already covered more territory this season than Patton's army. Spiller had a big day, and so did Ingram, as a dagger into the heart of Florida.

McCoy struggled in the Big 12 championship game, and while his clock management on the final play worked — by one fortunate second — it felt like it came out of a textbook, "How to be a Kamikaze Pilot."

Then there was Ndimoi …Ndaju … well, whatever his name is.

Any defensive unit would be proud to have seven tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in a game. He did that by himself. And Texas wasn't exactly trying to block him with members of a ballet class. He was storming through several beefy Longhorns to make a mess of the Texas offense.

Monday morning was time to vote.

Gerhart seemed an attractive candidate as the studious underdog from Stanford. It'd be like electing the chemistry whiz as prom king.

Spiller had been among the most electrifying players in college football to watch. Ingram was part of the heart and soul of the No. 1 team, McCoy the winningest quarterback the sport had ever seen.

But here's the thing. When looking to pull the Heisman trigger in a crowded field, it helps to find something truly extraordinary from one player.

The Big 12 championship game was truly extraordinary for Ndmaio …Ndoli … well, whatever his name is. The man owned the night.

Has he done that all year? The numbers suggest a relentless and dominating effort from the gritty, sweaty workplace of the trenches. If a lineman wants to accomplish great things, he is left to his own will. Nobody blocked for him, when he stormed opposing backfields through double teams for 12 sacks and 82 tackles, 23 of them for a loss. He clawed his way there on his own motor.

The past week has been full of surreal sport developments.

Were we imagining the New York Yankees talking about cutting payroll? The New England Patriots turning into Jello? The New Jersey Nets winning a game? Two different Minnesota Vikings found driving 104 and 109 mph? I didn't even know the Vikings had a NASCAR team.

Tiger Woods kept showing up in headlines, linked to various playing partners, but none of them on a golf course. Very strange.

And here I was, ready to vote for a tackle for the Heisman, by the name of … uh, let me check again … Ndamukong Suh (pronounced En-dom-ah-ken Soo).

Ingram — who will probably win — second, and Gerhart third.

Not an easy call, though any doubters of Suh's greatness can consult two groups: NFL scouts and the linemen trying to block him.

Besides, how often do you get the chance to give a legitimate Heisman vote to a lineman whose mother came from Jamaica and father from Cameroon?

But the really hard part was typing his name on the ballot. Hope I got it right.

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WISTROM BECOMES 14TH HUSKER INDUCTEE INTO COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME...

New York City - Nebraska's Grant Wistrom was among 18 players and coaches who were inducted into the 2009 College Football Hall of Fame class here Tuesday night by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

Wistrom became the 14th Nebraska player in the College Football Hall of Fame, along with six former Cornhusker coaches. He is the first Nebraska player to join the Hall since 1983 Heisman winner Mike Rozier was inducted in 2006.

Wistrom said last spring that he was humbled by the honor of being selected and owes much of his success to his coaches and former teammates.

"I don't even know where to begin to thank the coaches and players who have helped me receive this special award," Wistrom said. "Obviously, this is not only an honor for me, but is indicative of the guys I played with and the coaches who helped me develop to my full potential.

"Our teams posted the best four-year record in the history of college football, and I know there are other deserving candidates from those teams. I would like to specifically thank Coach Osborne, Charlie McBride and Tony Samuel for helping me develop as a player on the field and as a man off the field."

Wistrom was the anchor of the Husker defense during one of the most successful eras in college football. During his career from 1994 to 1997, Nebraska compiled a 49-2 record and won three national championships. Wistrom was a first-team All-American in 1996 and 1997, and in 1997 he became the fourth Nebraska player to capture the Lombardi Award.

The Webb City, Mo., native holds the school record for tackles for loss with 58.5 for 260 yards, and he ranks second in Nebraska history with 26.5 sacks. Wistrom had his No. 98 jersey retired during the 1998 season. Off the field, Wistrom was a two-time first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American and was a recipient of the NCAA Top Eight Award in 1997. He was the Big 12 Male Athlete of the Year for 1997-98.

Wistrom's induction continues an impressive week in the Huskers' rich history of defensive linemen. On Monday, current Husker defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was named a Heisman Trophy finalist and took home the Bronko Nagurski Award as college football's top defensive player. The Nagurski Award was the first major defensive award won by a Husker since Wistrom's Lombardi Trophy in 1997.

Wistrom and Suh rank first and second on the Nebraska career tackles for loss list, with Suh needing three tackles for loss in the Holiday Bowl to overtake Wistrom.

The sixth overall selection in the 1998 National Football League Draft by the St. Louis Rams, Wistrom spent six seasons with the Rams from 1998 to 2003. While there, the Rams won a Super Bowl title in 1999 and an NFC title in 2001. He played for Seattle from 2004 to 2006, helping the Seahawks to the Super Bowl following the 2005 season. He retired after the 2006 season.

What Others Said About Wistrom's Selection:

You knew when you watched Grant in high school that he was special. He has worked so hard to be the best over the years he has played. This is one of the highest honors you can receive as a college football player, being voted in not only by your peers, but your coaches, athletes and members of the media. Without a doubt, Grant is very deserving of this honor because of his lifelong, dedicated effort to be the best. I couldn't be happier for him. Charlie McBride, Nebraska Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach, 1977-99

When you play a team sport like football, the biggest concern you have is whether or not the guy next to you is going to get the job done and have his motor running full speed all the time. When I put my hand in the dirt and looked to my right or left and saw Grant, I knew I had nothing to worry about. He was the type of guy that you dream about playing next to. He doesn't understand the word half-speed. When you look up the word "Blackshirt" in the dictionary, chances are you'll see a picture of Grant Wistrom next to it. I can count on one hand in my years of playing football the guys you knew you would have your back no matter the situation, not only on the field, but off it, and Grant was at the top of the list. I have been through a lot, and Grant never turned his back on me. He has always been there to support me, and he will be a brother to me forever. Jason Peter, Wistrom's NU teammate, 1994-97
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HUSKERS IN THE NFL - WEEK 13...

Lincoln - A total of 22 former Huskers saw action during Week 13 of the 2009 NFL season.

Former Huskers Correll Buckhalter and Russ Hochstein each played a major role in Denver’s 44-13 win on the road in Kansas City. Buckhalter made the most of his 12 carries, as he ran for a game-high 113 yards, while also catching three balls for 15 yards. From his left guard position, Hochstein paved the way for the Broncos to run for 245 yards on 45 carries and two touchdowns, as the team averaged 5.4 yards per touch.

On Monday Night Football, former running backs Brandon Jackson and Ahman Green contributed to Green Bay’s 27-14 win at home over Baltimore, moving the Packers to 8-4. Green averaged 4.6 yards per carry, as he carried five times for 23 yards. Jackson, who filled in on third-down situations, caught two balls for 14 yards and also helped protect quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns.

Josh Brown was the Rams only offense in a 17-9 loss to Chicago, as the former Husker connected on all three of his field goal attempts. Brown, who is now 14-18 on season, made kicks from 20, 48 and 50 yards. For the Bears, Zackary Bowman produced three total tackles and a forced fumble, while Josh Bullocks added a tackle on special teams.
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TICKETS ON SALE FOR NCAA VOLLEYBALL REGIONAL IN OMAHA...

Lincoln – All-session and single-match tickets are now on sale for this weekend’s NCAA Omaha Volleyball Regional at the Qwest Center.

Four of the nation’s top teams, including three squads ranked in the top seven of the AVCA poll, will be in action beginning Friday night. The first regional semifinal features second-ranked Texas taking on Texas A&M beginning at 4:30 p.m., while No. 7 Nebraska will square off with No. 5 Iowa State in the nightcap, set for 7 p.m. The regional final will take place Saturday night at 8 p.m. with the winner heading to the National Semifinals in Tampa.

It is the first time since 1994 that a regional field comprises of four teams from the same conference, as the Big 12 has five teams in regional action this weekend.

The Huskers come into this weekend’s regional riding a nine-match win streak following a sweep of No. 20 Northern Iowa last Saturday. With a 25-6 record, the Huskers are making their 16th consecutive regional appearance – the longest streak in the country.

All-Session tickets are priced at $38 (Lower & Upper Mezzanine) and $30 (Upper Bowl) and provides fans tickets to both Friday night matches as well as the regional final Saturday night. Single-session tickets for both nights are now available with prices set at $21 and $18.

Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or by phone 800-745-3000. Tickets will not be sold at the Nebraska Ticket Office. Fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets early, as a large crowd is expected for this weekend’s regional.

Lincoln, Neb. - The No. 7 Nebraska volleyball team clinched a spot in the regional semifinals in Omaha next weekend after sweeping No. 20 Northern Iowa 25-14, 25-17, 25-21 Saturday afternoon in front of a crowd of 4,066 at the NU Coliseum.

Hannah Werth ignited the No. 2 Huskers (25-6) in the win with a match-high 13 kills on a season-best .476 hitting, 14 digs and a career-high four blocks. It marked her second straight double-double in the NCAAs, as the Huskers won their ninth straight match, all by sweeps.

With the win, the Huskers will play in their 16th consecutive NCAA Regional, a streak that more than doubles any other program in the nation. Nebraska will take on Iowa State, a 3-0 winner over Wichta State, next Friday at 7 p.m. at Qwest Center Omaha. Tickets for that match are now on sale at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000. Texas will take on either LSU or Texas A&M in the other semifinal, slated for 4:30 p.m.

Tara Mueller joined Werth in double figures with 12 kills as Nebraska became the first team to hit over .300 against Northern Iowa (31-3) this season. Sydney Anderson dished out 44 assists and guided a Husker attack that had four players with at least eight kills.

Kayla Banwarth totaled a match-high 19 digs, as the Panthers were held to a season-low .113 hitting in seeing their 29-match win streak snapped. In all, Nebraska had held its last six opponents to a combined .096 hitting percentage.
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HUSKERS TAKE OUT CHANTICLEERS, 3-0...

Lincoln, Neb. – The Nebraska volleyball team used a solid defensive effort to sweep Coastal Carolina, 25-13, 25-18, 25-15, Friday evening in front of a sold out NU Coliseum crowd. The Huskers, who improved to 48-3 in NCAA Tournament matches in the Coliseum, have now won 23 of 24 first-round matches in school history.

The Husker defense was the story as NU (24-6) held Coastal Carolina to just 19 kills and a .048 hitting percentage. Kayla Banwarth added a match-high 24 digs, as the junior libero became just the second Husker in school history to accumulate 500 or more digs in a season, joining former Husker Dani Busboom (2006). Banwarth’s 24 digs were the best ever by a Husker in a three-set NCAA Tournament match, breaking the previous mark of 20 by Amanda McCormick against Dayton in 2003.

In all, Nebraska totaled 63 digs, tying a team three-set high and matching the program’s NCAA record in a three-set match that had stood since 1994. It also equaled the Huskers’ best in a three-set match this season.

On the attack, Hannah Werth racked up a double-double as she led all players with 12 kills on 30 swings, hitting .267, while also adding 11 digs. It was Werth’s 12th double-double of the season. Tara Mueller came close to a double-double, as she added nine kills to go along 14 digs. As a team, the Huskers hit .297, while Sydney Anderson added 36 assists.

Coastal Carolina, who was making its third appearance at the NCAA Tournament and its first since 1998, ends the season with a 20-14 record. Chelsy Kimes, the MVP of the Big South Tournament, led the Chanticleers with with eight kills and added 10 digs.
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HOLIDAY BOWL TICKETS AVAILABLE THROUGH SAN DIEGO ALUMNI CHAPTER...(Thanks Rita!)

The NAA San Diego Chapter has a few tickets remaining for the Holiday Bowl. See information below and contact John O'Reilly if interested. GBR!!!

Ticket Sales: As of early a.m. Thursday, we have sold 123 tickets and have 31 left. Deadline, 5 p.m., this Friday. We expect your tickets to arrive to you between Dec 19 and Dec 24. We do not know where these seats are in the stadium. Assume the worst and hopefully you’ll be positively surprised. Good thing: You are with Husker fans. We’ll let you know when packages have been sent. Credit cards only, we add $6 shipping and 4% on entire order to defray our credit card cost. To order call 760-804-0910 (John O’Reilly), and leave this info: # tickets, $80 or $125, CC type, CC number, Exp Date, Security code, name on card, billing address, shipping address if different, "emergency" phone number.

Husker Huddle: Our tickets come with admission to "Husker Huddle" – no opt out. If you purchased the $125 ticket, you get access to the food at the Huddle. Think of the Huddle as a University sponsored tail-gater. It’s 1-4 p.m. the day of the game right next to stadium. There will be speakers (Chancellor, Tom Osborne perhaps), the band, cheerleaders, Lil Red, etc. They’re fun & great Husker networking. Our local San Diego Chapter should have a table @Huddle – please stop by and say hello…and offer to provide "table duty" for 15-30 minutes and relieve the current person on duty. More details about the Huddle will be included in the ticket package, if we have them. The UNAA Lincoln web site below is best source of info.

Ambassadorship/San Diego Host Chapter name badge: We want all of our Husker visitors from Nebraska and around the world to have a great San Diego experience. It’s not about our weather and coastline – it’s about their interactions with the locals – just like how visitors to Lincoln leave very impressed with the experience. We have created a very nice "San Diego Host Chapter" name badge and we will include them in your ticket package. You assemble the badges. We’ll also have extra San Diego Host Chapter name badges at our Chapter table at the Huddle. Each of us is an Ambassador representing San Diego whether we realize it or not. Please help us give a very positive impression. This can impact our future ability to get tickets, our ability to get quality speakers in San Diego, etc. Our last Holiday Bowl appearance was 1998- yet - the Huskers could be at the Holiday Bowl 5 times in the next 12 years. We don’t know! If you have tickets from other sources, and want one or more of these cool "San Diego Host Chapter" name badges, contact John O’Reilly.

Bus Ride from LaCosta Grill, Carlsbad, North County: A number of you have signed up. This bus ride is patterned after the regular service they provide for San Diego Chargers ticket holders. One possible problem: The three hour Husker Huddle means that the bus is sitting at Qualcomm much longer than normal! We’re looking at that now. If you are a bus-rider, I am interested in your feedback. Do you want to arrive just before 1 p.m., or are you OK arriving around 3 p.m. and catching the last hour of the Huddle? Send feedback to John O’Reilly, serious bus-riders only please.

Runza’s: The national Runza people in Omaha contacted the Chapter. You will be able to pre-order Runzas that you can pick up at Qualcomm. There may be a flier in your ticket package about this and/or we will send out more information through E-Newsletter/Facebook.

Greeting the Huskers when they arrive @Lindbergh Field: We are trying to make this happen – we’d give it less than a 50/50 chance. It boils down to having the coaching staff tell the charter tell the FBO (the company that services visiting charter jets) that they don’t mind a Husker contingent nearby showing their support as the players/coaches move from plane to bus. I can’t imagine why the coaching staff would NOT want us there. Normally the FBO is protecting the privacy of owners of private jets – the exact opposite of what we want to do! A generous volunteer alum has offered to organize a Dutch treat party nearby including transportation to/from party/FBO for people that come out to greet the Huskers. More later if we can make this to happen.

That’s "all" we can think of right now. There will be a steady stream of information coming. Please alert us if we are not addressing your questions.

Go Big Red!

UNAA San Diego Chapter
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San Diego Bound!

The Nebraska football team has been selected to play in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl for the first time since 1998! You can be a part of the excitement when the Huskers go for a 10-win season in Coach Bo Pelini's second year. The Nebraska Alumni Association offers full charter air and land-only packages, including tickets to the game Dec. 30 at Qualcomm Stadium. We'll take care of the details, so all you need to do is cheer for the Huskers.

TRAVEL DIRECT AND STAY WITH THE TEAM

The full trip includes accommodations at the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina (the official team hotel) as well as direct round-trip charter air from Lincoln or Omaha, tickets in the official Nebraska block, special pep rallies and pre-game events in partnership with the Huskers Sports Network, police-escorted transportation on game day, hotel hospitality and much more. Trips are easy and convenient, and packed with plenty of Big Red spirit. Land-only packages include everything but airfare. For details of the trip, including features and prices, click here.

MAKE YOUR RESERVATION NOW

Space is extremely limited. To reserve your spot on a charter-air or land-only tour, just call, click or fax while there is still space available.

The Alumni Association is also finalizing plans for a pre-game Husker Huddle near Qualcomm Stadium Dec. 30, as well as a FREE pep rally Dec. 29 in partnership with Husker Sports Network. Details will be available here. Check back often for the latest information.

GAME TICKET-HUSKER HUDDLE PACKAGE

Fans can buy game-day packages that include a bowl game ticket in the Nebraska block and a pre-game Husker Huddle ticket. The alumni association is finalizing plans for the pre-game Huddle, which will include a full buffet, cash bar and spirit program. University and athletic department dignitaries, former Huskers and the NU Spirit Squad and pep band will all make an appearance at this can't miss pre-game event. Call 888-353-1874 for pricing and to purchase ticket-huddle packages.